Hermione's Mistake
by loopy6idol
Summary: Some people think a baby is a joyous occasion, like when Lily was born. Hermione and Harry are overjoyed. But some people think of babies as a curse, and will do anything to make them go away...
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters. The only things I own are the plot and any new characters.  
  
Chapter One  
  
Hermione Granger slowly opened her eyes. The room was spinning, and she looked down at her right hand to see that there was a beer bottle in it. Quickly, she sat upright and put her left hand to her head. The room stopped spinning long enough so that Hermione saw that she was wearing only a white slip and socks. There were many other scattered beer bottles on the floor, and Hermione figured that she must have gotten terribly drunk last night.

A groan came from a faraway room, and Hermione looked around to see where she was. She was sitting on the floor in the Gryffindor Common Room, leaning against a maroon armchair. Slowly, she stood up, supporting her weight on the chair's soft cover. Dropping the bottle into a nearby trash can, she wandered up a set of stairs from where the moan had come from. Her feet touched the cold hard stone until a brown wooden door. On it was a sign that said, 'Boys 7th Years'.

Hermione creaked the door open slightly, and saw Harry sitting up on one of the four poster beds, rubbing his eyes. There were also many more beer bottles on the floor. She walked inside, and sat down on the corner of the white sheets. Harry saw her, and quickly put a goblet under the bed. "Hello," he mumbled.

"Harry..." Hermione said slowly, "Do you remember what happened last night? I think I got awfully drunk, and I'm not sure what happened."

"You don't remember? That's such a shame," he said as he rustled his hair. "Well, last night was Halloween. There was a huge party here afterwards, and there was lots of alcohol. I'm pretty sure that everybody got drunk," Harry said in a low whisper. "Once everybody was drunk, all of the guys grabbed a girl, and we came back to the boy's dormitories," he paused. "I don't really know how to put what happened, so I think I'll give you an idea.

Harry slipped over to another of the mahogany beds, and pulled back one of the hangings. Under a maroon comforter, Ron lay asleep their, Lavender Brown lying next to him. Their breathing was rhythmic and peaceful. Hermione gasped and clutched a hand to her mouth. "Oh my gosh," she whispered through it. Harry took no notice, closed the curtain again, and kept whispering.

"You tried to be a good girl at first, but I think the alcohol got the better side of you. A more romantic you, if you catch my drift."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears, and she couldn't stop them from spilling. She crumbled to the floor and began to cry, her head in her hands. Her hands were covered in the salty tears when Harry lowered himself onto the floor next to her, rubbing her back gently.

"It's okay. You're seventeen. It's not like we're first years. We are seventh-years, and after graduation in June, you can put this all behind you," Harry said, pulling her into a hug. "You'll be okay."

"No Harry," said Hermione slowly between sobs, "I won't be okay. What if Professor Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall find out? I will lose my Head Girl badge! We'll get expelled! What if something happens? What if-"

"Hermione, calm down," Harry cut her off, taking her head away from her hands. He brushed away her tears and softly kissed her on the lips. When he pulled away, he looked into her chocolate-brown eyes. "Nothing is going to happen."

Something did happen...

TWO AND A HALF MONTHS LATER

"So, class, the homework is to write a twelve inch essay on Animagis," Professor McGonagall said, to a response of moans and groans. "Class dismissed," she added. The seventh-year Gryffindor's all got up and began to exit the room. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were the last ones out. As soon as they were out of the Professor's earshot, Hermione stumbled and pulled on the back of Harry's robes.

"Harry, I feel dizzy," she said weakly as she fell against the cold stone wall, dropping her book bag. She grabbed her forehead with one hand, and her stomach with the other. Upon hearing this, Harry and Ron both spun around. Ron dropped his things and caught her from the back as she fell. Harry also put down his things and lifted her chin. Her face was pale and emotionless.

"Ron, she's out cold. We should get her to the Hospital Wing."

"But Harry, we can't possibly carry her up all of those stairs, especially with all of the other students running around."

"I am fully aware of that fact, thanks," Harry said, sighing. He looked around, and then an idea popped into his head. "How about you go and get Madame Pomfrey, and I'll stay with Hermione."

"Erm...okay," Ron said, sounding disappointed. He and Harry laid Hermione on the floor. Ron picked up his things and went down the dark hallway to the Hospital Wing after giving one last glance at Hermione. Harry took off his black over-robe and folded it. He gently picked up Hermione's head and put the robe underneath it. He kneeled down next to her motionless body and pulled a few stray hairs away.

"Hermione, please wake up," he said, his voice shaking. "Please wake up. Please."

"Why? I was having such a nice dream," came a voice from below. Harry looked down and saw Hermione's eyes flutter open as she sat up. "What happened? Why am I lying on the floor?" she asked in a cheerful yet confused voice as she rubbed her eyes.

"You fainted. As soon as we got out of McGonagall's class, you said that you felt dizzy, and you fainted," Harry said as he picked up his robe and put it back on. Hermione sat up and looked around just in time to see that behind her Ron and Madame Pomfrey were rushing down the hall, their footsteps echoing in the silence.

Madame Pomfrey kneeled down next to Hermione and asked her, "Miss Granger, what happened? All that Mr. Weasley has told me is that you felt dizzy and then fainted." Hermione nodded and added,

"But before I fainted, my stomach hurt a whole lot. I have no idea why, though." Madame Pomfrey took out her wand and flicked it over Hermione's stomach. A parchment popped into her hand, and she opened it. Madame Pomfrey read it;

Quick Diagnosis

Name: Hermione Jane Granger

Age: 17

Diagnosis: Pregnant

Madame Pomfrey abruptly put a hand to her heart and shut it. She began breathing very heavily and her eyes darted from Harry, to Ron, and to Hermione. They were all looking at Madame Pomfrey expectantly. "Miss Granger, dear, I think you should have Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley escort you to your Head Girl room. Don't read this until you are sitting down, Okay?" Madame Pomfrey said with a raspy voice. Hermione nodded, and put the folded piece of parchment in her robe pocket. Madame Pomfrey left, shaking her head and muttering words like, "How?" and "crazy".

Harry helped Hermione up, while Ron got all of the books up into his arms. They walked to the Head's Common Room. Hermione said the password and they entered. They walked briskly through it and Hermione opened another door, which happened to be pink. They walked into Hermione's bedroom. It was a small pale pink room, with a desk piled high with books, a bookshelf that was crammed full, and a royal purple queen-sized bed in the corner. There was also a purple vanity with a matching wardrobe in another corner. Hermione sat down on the edge of her bed as Ron dumped everything on the floor. Harry sat at her side as she took the parchment out of her pocket. Ron straightened the pile and sat down next to Harry.

"Um...you guys?" Hermione started, "Can I open this without you guys looking over my shoulder?" Harry and Ron nodded, and both walked over to the opposite side of the room. Hermione unfolded the parchment, and read it. Her eyes grew as wide as Galleons, and she gasped. Her voice shook as she said, "Harry, can you come here?"

Harry nodded and walked over. "Hermione, what is...OH MY GOD!" Harry said softly as he saw the diagnosis. Hermione's eyes started to glisten.

"Ron," she said quietly while averting his gaze. "Could you excuse us for a moment please? Harry and I need to talk." Ron nodded reluctantly, and without further questioning, he walked out of the room, his head hanging low. As soon as he closed the door behind him, the locked clicked shut. Hermione burst into tears. She put her hands to her face. Harry looked over to her.

"It's okay, Hermione," he said, pulling her hair back from her face. He pulled her into a hug and let her cry into his shoulder. "You'll pull through this. If we think positively, then it will all be fine."

Hermione pulled out of the hug and said, her voice getting louder and louder even though the lump in her throat was getting bigger and bigger, "No Harry. It won't be okay. I'm only seventeen! I was supposed to graduate and do great things! I'm not supposed to have a kid! What will my parents think?" She started panicking, which made her only cry more.

"Hermione, calm down," Harry said, cupping her hands into his. "Once we graduate, you can move into an apartment near my new one, and get a job, and..."

"HARRY!" Hermione cried, "No-one is going to want to hire a pregnant seventeen-year-old!"

"But, you are Hermione Granger. You are smart, and with that trait you can...um..." Harry blanked out.

"See?" she whispered, "I bet I am going to end up living in a shelter somewhere, or be someone's slave." She started to cry again. Harry cringed and hugged her again, stroking her hair. Hermione kept on crying, but she felt safe and warm in his arms. But then a thought crept into her head. "How are we going to tell Ron?"

"Maybe you don't have to. You are good at keeping secrets."

"We have to tell him! He's our best friend! Maybe he will let me stay at the Burrow until I can save up some money," Hermione said hopefully as they broke from the hug. Just then a knock came at the door.

"Can I come in now?" said Ron from the other side of the door.

Harry answered in a calm voice, "Yes Ron. Come in." Ron pushed open the door and walked in, shutting the door behind him again.

"What's wrong with Hermione?" he asked curiously. Hermione stood up and walked over to him. She took a hold of his shoulder's, so he was arm length away.

"R-R-Ron..." she stammered, "I-I-I am...um...going to...have...a baby." Ron's eyes flew open, and his ears went flaming red, as they always do in uncomfortable situations. He exploded her with questions.

"Who? How? When?"

"Whoa, calm. Why don't we all sit?" Hermione suggested. Ron nodded, and they all sat in a circle on Hermione's pink fuzzy rug. Ron had a very puzzled yet concerned look on his face, and his eyes darted from Harry to Hermione.

Harry looked quizzically at Hermione when she continued. "Ron...do you remember the Halloween party?" Ron nodded, and then Hermione fell silent. She looked down and started fiddling with the fuzz on her rug. A couple of tears fell onto it. Harry shifted near Hermione slightly, and she fell against his chest, silent tears streaming down her face.

Ron just looked on, confused as ever. Harry put his chin on top of Hermione's head and hugged her close. They sat like that for a couple of minutes, and then the light bulb turned on above Ron's head. "Oh! You guys! What are you going to do?"

"I dunno. We have no place to stay, hardly any money to raise a child off of, and...and...and..." her voice barely audible as she moaned into Harry's chest. Harry rubbed her back with pity in his eyes but confusion on his face. Hermione took a deep breath and sat up.

"Hermione...you look sort of green," Ron commented.

"Yeah. Are you feeling okay?" Harry agreed. Hermione shook her head and ran of to her bathroom. (The door was directly across the room from her bed) Ron and Harry both cringed as they heard her throw up behind the closed door.

"Ron..." Harry started, "What Halloween party was she talking about? The day after Halloween I woke up in a closet."  
  
END OF CHAPTER

A.N. Please review! I have no reason to continue this story if people don't review!


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the plot and new characters.

**A.N.** If you guys don't review, I have no reason to continue this story!!! Please Review!

**Chapter One Recap;**

"Ron..." Harry started, "What Halloween party was she talking about? The day after Halloween I woke up in a closet."

**CHAPTER TWO**

"There was a big party on Halloween night. Everybody got drunk, and...thing happened...," Ron said, shifting uncomfortably. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"But...who did this to Hermione?"

Ron looked at Harry like he had three heads. "You did, mate," he said, chuckling. "Man, you must have gotten pretty drunk." He patted his shoulder a couple of times, and Harry cracked a fake smile. "Harry, I think you should go help her," Ron said, nodding towards the now silent bathroom. Harry nodded, and opened the door.

Hermione was sitting on the floor, leaning against a white porcelain bathtub. In the room there was also a matching toilet and sink. The room was cream, and there was a door on the other side. Hermione was clutching her stomach, wincing and moaning slightly.

Harry sat down next to her and grabbed an elastic that was on the edge on the sink. Her pulled her hair back into a ponytail, (and did a very messy job, I might add). She managed to mouth a thanks. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat. Harry suddenly felt a weight drop down into his stomach.

His voice shook as he said cautiously, "Hermione...are you okay?"

Hermione looked up, her eyes glossy. She took a deep breath and managed to say in a very quiet whisper, "No. I am not okay. I am not ready to be a mother, and I know that you are not ready to be a father. But what can I do about it? Nothing," she said flatly, leaning her head onto Harry's shoulder. Harry leaned back onto the bathtub and pushed a couple of loose strands of hair away from her face.

After a few moments of quiet, Hermione's breathing because peaceful. She had fallen asleep. Harry let a smile play upon his lips, and he waited for her to awake...

"Hermione..." came a distant voice, "Wake up Hermione."

Hermione opened her eyes and felt someone gently shaking her shoulder. She was still propped up against the bathtub, new cold sweat beading on her forehead. She slowly turned her head to see Harry. His eyes were full of concern and confusion.

"Are you okay Harry?" she asked, rubbing her eyes and trying to sit up straight. "You look tired."

"I'm fine. Are you feeling any better?" he asked, his voice calm, yet worried.

Hermione nodded. "I feel much better, thank you. How long was I sleeping?"

"We've all missed the rest of our classes for the day." Harry replied, looking at his watch. "You've been sleeping about two hours. It's almost five o'clock. Ron just left to go and get the homework from the teachers we missed."

Hermione nodded and tried to get up, but failed. Harry helped her up and helped her walk over to her bed. She sat down on the edge. "Harry..." she began, "What are we going to do?"

"I dunno," replied Harry. He sat down next to her. "But I just want you to know that I will always be there to help you and support you."

Hermione smiled warmly at him, and put a hand on his. "I know you will make a great father." Harry beamed and squeezed her hand.

"And I know you will make a great mother."

Ron came back about fifteen minutes later. He knocked on the door. Harry and Hermione both said, "Come in" at the same time. As Ron opened the door, Harry and Hermione once again moved to the floor, leaning against the side of her bed. Ron dumped all of the books and parchment onto her desk, and sat down on the floor across from Hermione and Harry. There was an awkward silence, and Ron was the first to break it.

"So...have you guys thought of any names yet?"

Hermione spoke before Harry had a chance. "I have. I think that if it is a boy, James. If it's a girl, Lily."

Harry looked surprised. "But Hermione, why?"

"Because those were the names of your parents," Hermione said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

All three of them nodded in unison, and so it was decided.

"That is a good idea, Hermione," Ron said. They all sat there for a minute, enjoying the silence. Just then, a knock came at the door. Hermione jumped and put a hand to her heart.

"Come in," she said in a clear, sweet voice. She put a smile on her face as the door opened. It was Professor Dumbledore. Hermione, Harry, and Ron all stood up. He was wearing a navy blue robe the grazed the floor as he glided along it. He stood in the middle of the room, looking at the three students.

"I have talked to Madame Pomfrey, Miss Granger," he said, his eyes narrowing, the twinkle in them gone. Hermione looked down at her feet and her face lost all of it's color. Her smile disappeared. "Tell me, Miss Granger, when did this happen?"

Hermione trembled when she spoke. "On...on...Ha...Hallo....Halloween, Sir." Ron moved closer to her and gave her a hug. Harry looked at Dumbledore. He wasn't going to watch her get yelled at.

"I...I...I am going to go to the bathroom," he said, slipping away and into the Heads' bathroom, closing the door behind him. Dumbledore pretended to take no notice, but kept talking.

"You know that this has never happened before? And that we are going to have to take drastic measures?" Hermione nodded. "Well then, I guess...we'll have to...have the house elves build a crib."

Hermione's eyes lit up, and she hugged Dumbledore, whose twinkle had returned as well. "Thank you," she whispered to him. He patted her head, and she broke the hug. Harry had just come out of the bathroom, his glasses askew and his robes looking sort of big.

He ran over and kissed Hermione passionately. Dumbledore cleared his throat, and Ron stood there, mouth slightly open.

"Sorry Dumbledore. Couldn't resist," he said smugly as he walked over next to Ron was standing. Only Hermione saw the fire in Dumbledore's eyes when he looked at Harry's back. His fists were clenched, too. But as soon as all eyes were on him again, he was back to normal, and his arms were folded across his chest.

"So, Miss Granger, if my calculations are correct, you will have your child in...June or July," he said as he counted off the months on his fingers.

Hermione nodded. Dumbledore continued, "And am I correct in assuming that Mr. Potter is the father?" She nodded again, but started crying.

"But I'm not sure. I was so drunk that I don't remember!" she cried, putting her face into her hands. She broke down and fell to her knees, sobbing and crying into her hands. Ron sat down next to her and began to stroke her hair.

"Hermione, calm down. You will know who the father is once the baby is born."

"But what if it's a girl and she looks just like me?" she moaned into her hands.

Harry butted in, "Come off it, Gr- I mean, Hermione. I know I'm the father. I remember that night. Trust me." Hermione looked up from her hands. Her eyes were red and puffy, and there were tear stains on her cheeks.

"Harry," she said softly, "are you okay? You are acting really strange, and you're talking funny."

"Yeah," Ron added. "You said earlier that you didn't remem-"

"Enough arguing, students," Dumbledore said, cutting them off. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, I think you should leave Miss Granger alone for a while." Harry and Ron nodded, and the three of them left the room. As soon as the door clicked behind them, Hermione once again burst into tears. She put a silencing charm on her room, and laid down on her bed, crying into her pillow.

An hour later, Hermione decided that she needed to rinse her face off. She put a hand on the cold metal doorknob and pulled the door open. As soon as she closed the door behind her, the opposite door opened, revealing a Draco Malfoy with bloody hands.

"Get out here, Mudblood. Or should I say, 'Mudblood Mommy?'" he said, his face looking smug and evil.

Hermione's eyes grew wide, and instead of retorting back, she simply whispered in an angry tone, "How do you know?"

Malfoy just shook his head as he turned on the cold water in the sink. "I know a lot more than you think, Granger."

She looked at him with fear in her eyes. "Li...like...what?"

"Like Potty is supposedly the father," he said. "And that on Halloween 'you got so drunk that you can't remember!'" he said, going his best girl impression. He dried his hands when Hermione found her courage.

"You've been spying on us!"

"Not spying, Mudblood. Just...overhearing. You know, you're not the only one who uses this bathroom," he said, drying his hands on one of the fluffy white towels.

"Why is there blood on your hands? And why is there blood on the floor? Who did you beat up?" she asked, her eyes darting from him to the floor, which had a little trail of blood droplets leading to Malfoy's green and silver Head Boy room.

"That's none of your business, Mudblood. Now, if you don't mind, I have some business to attend to, so go read a book or something," Malfoy said as he slammed his door behind him. Hermione rinsed her face off and cleaned up the blood. Something pricked her finger.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed. She looked down at her right index finger. There was a little piece of glass in it. She carefully pulled it out and threw it away. Tearing off a piece of cloth from the bottom of her robe, she wrapped her finger in it and finished cleaning.

Meanwhile...

"Harry, are you serious? One minute you don't remember the party, and the next you do?"

"I am positive that I do not remember. Nothing has changed in the past five minutes."

"Then answer me this question: How did you break your glasses? Did Professor Binns punch you or something?"

"No," Harry said nervously.

"So let me get this straight; you went to History of Magic to get your textbook that you left there earlier, and in the process break your glasses. Also, if you went to get your textbook, why are you standing here in the common room empty-handed?" Ron asked Harry in a very demanding tone.

Harry decided not to answer these questions, so he abruptly changed the subject. "Ron, I am going to go do my homework in the dormitory."

Ron looked at Harry with one eyebrow raised. Then he looked back at his work. He sighed and said, "Wish Hermione was here. I need some help with Transfiguration."

Harry just nodded and climbed up the stone stairs. He pushed the wooded door open and sat down on his bed. He pulled up his sleeve and looked down at the gash in his arm. There were bloody knuckle marks around it.

'Darn Malfoy,' he thought. 'What did he have to do that for?' Harry took out his wand from his pocket and pointed it at his arm. "Mendo arm!" he murmured, and the slice gradually healed, leaving only a thin scar behind. He then took off his glasses and pointed his wand at them. "Oculus Repairo." The glasses fixed themselves, but there was a tiny piece missing in one of the edges, hidden from sight.

Six and a Half Months Later (End of June)

Hermione ran into Charms with hardly a minute to spare, and out of breath. Just after she sat down next to Harry, the bell rang. Professor Flitwick came out of a side door and climbed onto a stack of books. While he was preparing the class, Hermione rubbed her stomach and looked over at Harry. He looked very worried.

"Harry, don't worry. Everything is fine."

"Oh," Harry said, letting out a sigh of relief. "That's good, because heaven forbid you actually be late for a class." He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Hey, Potter! Fatso! Get a room! Oh wait! I forgot! You don't want to have any more accidents!" Malfoy said, and laughter erupted from the Slytherin half of the room. Before Harry or Hermione could say anything, Ron, who was sitting on the other side of Harry, stood up.

"You bloody git! How dare you make fun of Hermione! You'd be fat too if you were in her place!" he shouted, ears turning bright red. It got a response of applause from the Gryffindor half of the room. Retorts were being thrown back and forth until a squeaky voice came above all.

"Class, please sit down and take notes off of the board. We are going to learn about the Fidelius Charm. Please take out your parchment and quills," Professor Flitwick said. Everyone did so and began copying the notes off of the magical blackboard. Every minute the words changed a different color. When the words changed from blue to red, Hermione suddenly gripped the arm of her chair and let out a quiet moan. She shut her eyes tight and clenched her teeth.

"Hermione? Hermione? Are you okay?" Harry asked, taking her head. Hermione shook her head rapidly and said in a quiet, raspy whisper, "No. I think I'm going into labor." Harry's heart stopped for a split second and he raised his hand and didn't even wait for Professor Flitwick to call on him.

"Professor- Hermione and I need to go to the Hospital Wing right now!" he shouted out. Professor nodded slowly. Harry helped Hermione up and out of the classroom. When the door magically shut behind them, people started talking, but Hermione's moans were louder.

"It's okay Hermione. You're gonna make it. Come on, we're almost there. Just a little more," Harry said gently as they walked down the hall...


	3. Chapter Three

**A.N.** I don't own any of the characters except new ones. I own the plot and some new places. Everything else is J.K. Rowling's

**Chapter Two Recap;**

"Professor, Hermione and I need to go to the Hospital Wing right now!" he shouted out, helping Hermione out of her chair and across the classroom to the door. When it shut behind them, Harry could hear people talking, but Hermione's moans were louder.

"It's okay Hermione. You're gonna make it. Come on, we're almost there. Just a little more," Harry said gently as they walked down the hall.

**CHAPTER THREE- The Birth**

"Come on Hermione. It's just down the hall. We are almost there. You can do it. Come on," Harry said encouragingly. Hermione nodded but kept clutching her stomach and moaning. Just before they walked into the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey came out.

"My dear! Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, what's wrong?"

"Hermione says that the baby is coming now," Harry replied, steering Hermione into the wing and helped her lie down on a bed. Hermione closed her eyes and took a couple deep breaths. Harry summoned a stool and sat down next to her. Madame Pomfrey put a curtain around the area, and wheeled over a cart full of tools used in childbirth that she had ordered before hand. She waved her wand and Hermione was magically dressed in a johnny. (A.N. A johnny is that thing at the doctors that has a front and has only ties in the back.)

"Mr. Potter, you might want to take Miss Granger's hand. She is going to have to start pushing," Madame Pomfrey said. Harry nodded and took Hermione's hand. She squeezed tightly.

(No details here, sorry)

After two hours of labor, Harry's hand was purple, Hermione was drenched with sweat, and Madame Pomfrey was slightly green. "Miss Granger, dear, please give one last push." Hermione did so, and the sound of crying filled the air. Harry's hand was free and Hermione put both her hands over her mouth.

"Congratulations, you two," Madame Pomfrey said as she cut the umbilical cord and wrapped the baby in a blanket. She walked over to Hermione's side opposite Harry. "You have a healthy baby girl." She put the tiny girl into Hermione's arms, then waved her wand and the mess cleaned itself up.

Hermione's face lit up so that it looked like Christmas had come early. Her bright white smile went ear to ear. Harry's face looked the same. He looked down at the baby and said to Hermione, "I had never seen a more beautiful baby."

"Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said in a dreamy voice, not taking her eyes off of the girl. "Do you think Harry and I could have a minute alone?" Madame Pomfrey nodded and stepped through the curtains. Harry and Hermione looked at the little girl in the blanket, and both could feel their hearts melt. Hermione looked at Harry. "What do you think of Lily Amanda Potter?"

Harry nodded. "I love it. Her name is as beautiful as her," he replied. Hermione nodded and brushed a couple of loose hairs away from her face to behind her ear. Suddenly, they could hear footsteps running into the Hospital Wing.

"I need...Harry...Hermione...to see," the voice panted. A piece of the curtain was pulled back and Ron's carrot-topped head popped in. "May I come in?" Hermione nodded and Ron closed the curtain behind him. "Oh you guys..." he said as he walked over next to Harry.

"Her name's Lily Amanda Potter," Hermione supplied.

"She's so cute," he said quietly.

"Thanks," Harry said. "Hey, what happened with Malfoy back there? I could hear him yelling things when we left."

"Oh, he was just being a jerk, as usual. But I got him back. Seemed to be calling you more names than Hermione," Ron said, shrugging. He clearly didn't know the reason.

"Maybe he felt bad for her," Harry suggested. There was a moment of silence, then all three of them burst into laughter, making Lily start to cry again. Madame Pomfrey came through the curtain.

"Miss Granger, could I please take her? I need to make out a birth certificate, record her stats, and take some fingerprints." Hermione reluctantly handed Lily over to Madame Pomfrey, her eyes filling with mist. Madame Pomfrey left

through the curtain.

"Hermione, why are you crying?" Ron asked her in a very concerned voice.

"Oh, I'm not really crying. These are tears of joy. I'm a mom. I, Hermione Jane  
Granger, am a mom," she repeated, reality hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"Yes, Hermione. And I am a father," Harry said proudly. They beamed at each other, making Ron feel horribly left out. Hermione noticed, and an idea popped into her head.

"Ron, do you want to be the godfather?" she asked him in a genuinely friendly and sweet voice.

As Ron looked back at her kind face, he thought, 'It's not fair! Why did she have to have that baby? Now she and Harry will probably live happily ever after. Great. Just great.' He forced a smile and replied, "Sure." The little black box in his pocket became sweaty as he toyed with it. He imagined what was inside.

Harry eyed Ron. 'What has he got in that pocket? Maybe it's some chocolate frogs!' he thought. He turned his attention back to Hermione, who was slowly drifting off to sleep.

'I can't believe that I think I am starting to fall in love with her. Ever since we found out about the baby, I have seen her in a different way. She's not the eleven-year-old smarty-pants anymore. She's a young woman who cares more about people than homework and books. And she looks a little different,' he thought happily.

It was true. Her hair wasn't bushy but was in loose ringlets that hung near her shoulders. Her eyes had changed from a sharp honey to a soft chocolate. She had gotten a little taller and had filled out slightly more. Yes, over seven years, she had grown up.

Harry snapped back to reality and realized that Hermione had fallen asleep. Madame Pomfrey came in at that moment with Lily and shooed them out. Once Harry and Ron walked out of the Hospital Wing, Harry prompted Ron.

"Hey, Ron, what's in your pocket? I saw your hand in there earlier, and I was wondering what it was."

"What's in my pocket is no concern of yours, Harry," Ron said coldly.

"Ron, chill out. I was just curious."

"No! I won't chill out. Why should I?"

"Because you have no reason to be mad at me," Harry said slowly and carefully.

"Yes I do. I am forever living in your shadow. The fame, the money, and the attention. And now Hermione too! How could you do this to me?" Ron asked pleadingly.

"What are you talking about? You are still my best friend. Hermione and I are still only friends!" Harry said defensively.

"No you're not. I see the way you look at her, and I see the way her eyes sparkle when she looks at you. Why am I always left out of everything?" Ron moaned.

"Ron...are you jealous of the way Hermione looks at me?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because...because...I'M IN LOVE WITH HER!" Ron shouted, making Harry freeze to the floor, mouth dropped open. Ron took the little black box out of his robe pocket and opened it. He showed it to Harry. It was a little gold band with a blue diamond in the middle.

"I got this in Diagon Alley before school started. I was going to propose to her on the day of our graduation. But now I have no chance. She is going to be too busy with that baby," he said, enraged. He continued, "And it's not like she'll make a godmother anyway. There's no book telling you exactly how to raise a child," he finished, breathing heavily.

"Ron- how could you?" came a small shaky voice. Ron spun around and saw Hermione in her uniform standing in the doorway, lip quivering and a couple of tears falling down her cheeks. She abruptly burst into tears and ran back inside the Hospital Wing. Ron started walking towards the doorway, but Harry was quicker.

"I will NOT let you speak about Hermione like that. She WILL make a good mother. And if you are so madly in love with her, then why did you say that?" Harry asked, his hand clutching the wand that was inside his robe pocket.

"Come on, you know it's true. She consults a book for _everything_. But that's why I love her. She knows how to use her brain. Not to mention the fact that she's gorgeous now," Ron said triumphantly. Harry raised an eyebrow and shook his head slowly. He pulled out his wand and began walking backwards into the Hospital Wing.

"I do not want you to follow me. I need to talk to Hermione...alone. As in, _without_ you," Harry said coldly, shutting the brown maple doors in Ron's face. He put his wand back into his pocket and hurried over to Hermione's bed. Her pulled back the curtain slowly and saw a baby bassinette in there.

Hermione was sitting on a stool next to it. Her hands where supporting her chin and her elbows were on her drawn-up knees. Tears were slipping occasionally onto her grey skirt, and she sobbed occasionally.

Harry walked silently over to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She was so surprised that she jumped off of the stool, startled. She put a hand on her heart and whispered out, "Oh. It's just you." Her eyes were rose pink and her cheeks shined from the tears. She fell into Harry's chest, crying. Harry enclosed her shaking body and put his chin on top of her head. He slowly rocked from side to side.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" Hermione managed to mumble in-between sobs. Harry just hugged her closer.

"No, no Hermione. Ron's wrong. I have a lot of faith in you. You're smart, funny, have good self control, know how to discipline, and above all, you love Lily, do you not?" Harry asked in a gentle and soft voice.

"I do. So much. More than life itself. Even though she's only an hour old, I would die for her," Hermione replied. They broke from the hug and Hermione leaned over the bassinette. She took Lily out and held her close. She sat on the bed, and motioned for Harry to do the same. He did.

"Harry, why don't you hold her? She is your daughter after all," Hermione said. She placed the tiny baby into Harry's arms. He looked down at Lily and smiled. Lily was sleeping peacefully. She began to move, so Harry put her in the bassinette, not wanting to wake her.

"Hermione," Harry asked, "How much of our conversation did you hear?"

"Well, I heard someone screaming, and that woke me up. I heard you two fighting, so I quickly changed and went to see. Then I heard Ron. He...he...he..." she trailed off, tears threatening to spill again. She took a couple of deep breaths and calmed herself down again.

"Harry...what are we going to do?"

"I've been thinking about that," Harry replied. "How about we rent an apartment in Hogsmeade?

Hermione looked at him. "Why?"

"Well, that way, I could work at one of the shops or something."

"That sounds okay. Maybe I could become a teacher here or something," Hermione said in a bored voice. Suddenly, her face became worried. "Oh my gosh! I just remembered something!"

"What is it?"

Hermione smiled. "We have to go to Charms and all of the other classes we missed and. Wouldn't want to fall behind!" she said. Harry just shook his head, smiling.

"You are truly amazing. You had a baby just over an hour ago, and all you can think about is falling behind."

Hermione let out a giggle. She waved her wand and a baby snuggler appeared next to her. Harry helped her put it on, and they carefully put Lily into it. She moved slightly, but didn't wake up. They both tried to leave, but Madame Pomfrey caught them.

"Just where do you think you're going?" she shrieked. Both Harry and Hermione let out a moan and turned around.

"We are going to my room to admire out child, and then maybe getting something to eat," Hermione replied. Madame Pomfrey vigorously shook her head.

"No you're not. You need to stay here for the night. I just don't want anything to go wrong," Madame Pomfrey said pleadingly.

"If anything happens, I'll send Harry down," Hermione said, pointing to him.

Harry answered quickly, "Oh, yes. As fast as my legs will carry me."

Madame Pomfrey regretfully gave in. "Oh, alright Miss Granger. But please do come tomorrow after breakfast, okay?"

"Agreed," Hermione answered, nodding. She and Harry briskly left.

When they emerged from the Hospital Wing, there were no students in sight. They walked to Charms undetected by anyone. But when they came out of Charms, Harry holding both bags, Lavender Brown found them. She was sipping happily, and almost crashed right into Harry.

"Oh! Hello Harry! Hello Hermione!" It was then that she noticed the baby snuggler. She gasped. "Aww! You had your baby! Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's a girl, and her name is Lily," Hermione answered slowly, stunned at Lavender's enthusiasm.

"That's _such_ a cute name! How did you come up with it?" she gushed.

Hermione looked around and dropped her voice. "It was the name of Harry's mother." Lavender nodded, eyes wide. She looked down at her watch.

"Oh my gosh! I'm supposed to meet Padme at the Great Hall right now! See you!" Lavender said, hurrying off and waving behind her.

Hermione sighed. "I think that might be the most enthusiasm we are going to get from anybody."

"I think you're right," Harry agreed. They walked up to the Heads' living room. Hermione walked over to her corner, which had two bookshelves full of books, a small circular cream-colored rug, a box labeled 'Baby Stuff', and two white armchairs.

Hermione took the snuggler off and put it in the box, holding Lily with one hand. She took out a bottle and waved her wand. It filled with warm milk. She set the bottle down on the floor near one of the chairs, and walked into her room. Harry followed her. Her room was basically the same as before, except that now there was a white wooden crib in the middle of the room. It had Quiddich bumpers and a shelf underneath. Lily was placed inside, and Harry and Hermione exited, leaving the door wide open.

They both sat in an armchair. Hermione began to grow worried. "What am I going to do about classes?" she asked Harry.

"You can bring her to class, can't you?"

"I don't think so. I'll disrupt the lesson! And if that happens, I might fail, and then..."

"Whoa! Calm down Hermione!" Harry said, patting her on the back lightly. "You can always-"

He was cut off by the sound of Lily crying. Hermione got up and took the bottle. She walked over to the doorway. When she got there, the bottle came crashing down to the ground.

"RON! NO!" she shouted.

**END OF CHAPTER THREE**

(A.N. Cliffhanger!!! Yay!!!! Please review! If I don't get reviews, then I'm not motivated to write more!)


	4. Chapter Four

Sorry that it's taken so long to update! This chapter was really hard to write! Also, I don't own any of the old characters and places and stuff like that.

NOTE: this is NOT going to be the last chapter. There's more!

Chapter Four

Ron stood over the crib, wand raised and pointed at Lily. There was anger in his face that Hermione had never seen before.

"Ron, what are you doing?" she whispered, too scared to raise her voice. Tears were brimming at her eyes and her knees were shaking.

"This baby needs to die. It has no right to be here," Ron said, facing Hermione. She began to edge along the wall as he advanced towards her. Ron pointed his wand at her throat.

"You just had to screw Harry, didn't you?" he asked in a menacing tone. He turned around and once again pointed it at Lily, who was crying. Hermione broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Avada Keda-"

"Stupefy!" A jet of red light came in the door way and hit Ron. He fell down face flat on the floor. "Petrificus Totalus!" The voice shouted again, making Ron slightly white and frozen. Hermione began breathing again and managed to stand up, even though she was still violently shaking.

She cautiously walked over to Lily's crib. The baby had stopped crying by now. Hermione sensed a person behind her and turned around.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Harry asked, putting his hands on her shoulders, slightly out of breath. Hermione shook her head and looked down at the ground, a couple more tears escaping.

Harry sighed and pulled her into an embrace, holding her tight. He rocked side to side slowly. Hermione sobbed occasionally and Harry rubbed her back.

"Shhh. It's okay Hermione. Please stop crying. Shhh. I hate seeing you like this," Harry said calmly and gently. Hermione separated from him and looked into his eyes.

For a second, the electricity between the emerald-green and chocolate-brown eyes could be seen. Both felt a jolt as Hermione kissed Harry. They both secretly wished the moment could last forever. It didn't. They were separated when Harry was pulled away, falling to the floor.

A very furious Ron was the one who pulled him. He stood over Harry, and Hermione could feel her lips tingling as Ron began to yell at him.

"You ahole! What the he do you think you're doing?" Ron demanded.

"Being kissed by Hermione, I suppose," Harry replied, rubbing the back of his head as he sat upright.

"Why? You know how I feel about her!" Ron shouted, looking as is he could kill him.

"Um…so?" Harry answered slowly. His gaze began to follow Ron's pacing. Hermione's breathing turned shallow, as if she didn't want to remind Ron that she was still there. She quickly and quietly took Lily out o her crib and sat down on her bed. Ron slowly turned and faced her. As he walked towards her, his face turned from rage to love and pleading.

"Hermione, why did you kiss Harry?"

"Because he saved my daughter from my ex-best-friend," Hermione said coldly. Ron's face turned to sadness and hopelessness. His eyes flickered fire and ice. Lily started to cry once again.

"Accio bottle," Hermione said casually, wand pointed at the doorway. The bottle came zooming through the room and onto her bed. she put her wand back into her pocket and the bottle into Lily's mouth.

This drew Ron's gaze, and Harry took this opportunity to stand up. "Ron, I think you should go. You are not welcome here anymore," he said. His tone was gentle, but it had just enough force to get the point across. Hermione nodded, agreeing. Ron's fists were clenched, but he didn't make any effort to move.

"Ron, I said to leave us alone!" Harry said from behind him. Ron turned around and faced him.

"Make me."

This made Harry's temper flare. He pushed Ron towards the door. Ron pushed Harry's chest back. Harry fell in such a way that his wand was shot out of his pocket.

"Da," Harry mumbled under his breath. He was laying on his stomach, face down into the carpet.

Hermione gasped. "Honestly Ron, fighting in front of Lily. You wouldn't want her to get bad ideas, now, would you?" she asked sweetly.

Ron looked as if his head would explode any second. But all he did was exhale sharply and storm out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Mfle muzz enflentoing," Harry said into the carpet.

Hermione looked up, still holding Lily. "What was that, Harry?"

Harry rolled over onto his back and said, "That was interesting."

"Yes, it certainly was," Hermione agreed. "I don't think he really likes Lily that much, do you?"

"Oh, I think he adores her," Harry replied sarcastically. He got up slowly and smiled weakly at Hermione. He took a seat down on the bed next to her.

Hermione was looking down at Lily, who by now had finished the bottle and was beginning to drift off to sleep again. She took the bottle from Lily and put it next to her pillow. She propped Lily's head on her shoulder and burped her. Hermione let a smile escape, but it quickly faded when she looked at her crib.

"I should probably put her back to sleep," she said softly. Hermione motioned to get up, but couldn't, frozen to the spot.

Harry put his hand on her right shoulder and said gently, "Why don't you put Lily in her crib?"

"Harry," she replied, her voice trembling and her body feeling like ice. "I'm scared."

"Of what, Hermione?"

"I'm scared that Ron will come back. Or even worse, Malfoy. His room is right through the bathroom."

Harry sighed. "I'm here, Hermione. It's okay. I won't let anyone get near her. You can trust me."

"Oh, Harry. What would I do without you?" Hermione asked, putting Lily carefully back into her crib. She sat back down onto the bed and clasped her hands together.

"So…" Harry started.

"So…" Hermione replied back.

"Have you given any thought as to what we're going to do?"

"Actually, yes, I have," Hermione replied, lying back so that her legs were hanging off. "We could move into Hogsmeade. That way, we're close to the school and won't have to travel far for anything."

"Okay," Harry replied. He lied back too, so that they both looked like little kids staring at clouds. "Hogsmeade it is."

"Harry," Hermione started. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"What was Ron talking about when he was yelling at you?"

"About…?"

"Me. When he was all, 'You know how I feel about her!'"

"Oh. That," Harry said uncomfortably. "Well, for about the past three years or so, he's kind of…well, had a crush on you."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. She faced Harry. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. You didn't know?" Harry asked, amazed.

"How would I know?"

"I don't know. I guessed that he would have told you by now."

"Never mentioned it, not once," Hermione said, still in shock.

"Didn't you ever wonder why he was always picking on Victor?"

"But if he likes, or, liked me, then why did he try to kill Lily?"

"That I don't have an answer to," Harry replied. "But I'm pretty glad I stopped him."

"I'm glad you did too," Hermione said, kissing Harry on the cheek.

Their last month at Hogwarts was busy. Hermione stressed about their final exams, while trying to juggle studying and taking care of Lily. Harry did his best to try and help, but Hermione was very cautious about who got to go near her, feed her, etc.

Neither of them exchanged another word with Ron, who had recently taken to locking himself in his dormitory, doing God only knows what.

The day of graduation, Hermione's parents were there, and they got to meet their granddaughter. Lily was a happy baby, not crying much during the night, and almost always had a happy look in her eyes.

Both Hermione and Harry did perfectly fine on their finals, and Hermione was nominated Class Valedictorian. She gave an emotional speech, which made almost everybody cry. Her grades were the highest ever achieved by any one student.

Harry and Hermione moved in together in an apartment in Hogsmeade. They had a nice set-up. Harry got a job being a waiter at the Three Broomsticks during the day, then Hermione would work for a couple hours at Honeydukes at night.

Despite their challenges, Lily had a pretty good baby-hood. She was adored by Hermione all the time, and Harry tried to be a good father, but it was sometimes hard.

They haven't decided whether or not to get married yet. Neither one knows how the other feels, and they think that maybe getting married might end up in disaster. Both have mutually agreed that they might want to wait until they are older.

A.N. This ISN'T then end of the story. It's just a filler, because I'm now going to skip until Lily's about three or so. I just had to put this in to help you guys not go crazy. I already have some of the next chapter written, and it's going to be sooo good!


	5. Chapter Five

Here it is. I don't think this will be the last chapter, and hopefully it won't be. I don't own lotsa stuff!

Chapter Five

"Mommy, can I go play on the playground?"

Hermione looked up from her book. "Sure honey. Just be careful."

"I will Mommy," Lily replied as she ran to the swing set, her long blonde hair trailing behind her.

"Cute kid," came a voice from behind Hermione. She turned around on the bench.

"Draco Malfoy," she said in a cold voice. "What do you want?"

"Just one simple thing. My daughter," he said, smiling evilly.

"What are you talking about? You're married to Parkinson. Doesn't she have your children?"

"Yes, she does have my twin sons. But she's been dying for a daughter, so I've come to take mine," he replied. Hermione stood up, putting her book on the bench.

"Who are you talking about?" Hermione asked, getting slightly nervous.

"Why, Lily of course," he replied, putting one hand on the back of the bench, leaning slightly.

Hermione shook her head slowly. "No. Lily's my daughter. She's Harry's daughter." What she had dreaded to hear was finally happening. She tried to stay calm, even though her insides were twisting and turning.

Malfoy smirked. "I thought you didn't remember! You got so drunk that night. But I remember it clear as a bell."

"No!" Hermione said, fighting off tears. "NO!" She's Harry's! It was Harry! I may not remember the night, but I sure do remember the morning after. It was Harry sitting on the bed, not you, Malfoy!" she retorted, just loud enough so that Lily couldn't hear.

"Ever heard of a polyjuice potion?"

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand. "It's not true." She was determined not to cry or make a scene in front of Malfoy. She couldn't let him win.

Malfoy let out a chuckle. "Have you ever wondered why she looks like me?" Hermione looked over at Lily, who was playing in the sandbox, facing away from them. Hermione laughed a little.

"I had no idea you saw yourself as a three-year-old girl," she said, raising one eyebrow and crossing her arms.

Malfoy got enraged. "That's not what I meant! How do you explain a blonde girl from a mother with brown hair and a father with black hair?"

"Well…" Hermione stammered. "My mother has blonde hair," she lied.

"No she doesn't. I saw your parents in Flourish and Blotts the summer before our second year, remember?"

"What does it matter what you say anyway? Lily is legally Harry's daughter, since it's what it says on her birth certificate."

"But birth certificates can lie, you know."

"But why?"

"Why can birth certificates lie?" Malfoy asked slowly, as if hearing Hermione's question wrong.

"No. Why did you sleep with me on Halloween?"

Malfoy smirked evilly. "You were the most vulnerable. Being a goody-two-shoe and all, you have never had alcohol. So, naturally, you got drunk the fastest. Besides, I thought it would be fun to ruin your life for you."

"So you wanted to ruin my life? Well, you failed. Having Lily was the best thing that's ever happened to me. For once I actually knew what I wanted to do with my life. So if you want Lily for whatever purpose, you're not getting her!" Hermione screamed. "I'm taking Lily home, and if you ever lay a hand on her, I'll kill you, Malfoy. Don't think I won't!"

Hermione took her book and stormed over to Lily. "Come on Lily, it's time to go home."

"Why mommy? We just got here!" Lily's cried. Hermione scooped her up.

"Because I have to go make dinner, silly. You want to eat, right?" Hermione asked jokingly.

"I guess," Lily replied, laying her head on Hermione's shoulder.

'I never really noticed how her eyes are a cloudy brown, or how blonde her hair really is. Oh God, what am I going to tell Harry?' she though as she carried Lily along the main road in Hogsmeade. Hermione came to their apartment and put Lily down. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and opened the door. Harry was there, sitting at the kitchen table.

"Daddy!" Lily shouted as she ran over to him. She flung her arms around him, and he lifted her into his lap.

"Hello, Lily. How's my favorite little girl?" he asked, smiling.

"She's fine. How is Daddy?" Lily asked, her voice small and sweet.

"Daddy's okay, but he has to talk to Mommy, okay?" Harry asked, speaking in the third-person. He looked at Hermione and she nodded.

"Lily, honey, why don't you go and play with your toys?" Hermione suggested. Lily hopped off of Harry's lap and ran into her bedroom, out of sight. "What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry was clearly worried about something. He cleared his throat. "I got a letter from Ron today."

Hermione gasped. "What did it say?"

"Here…maybe you should read it," Harry said uncomfortably. He pulled a small brown envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Hermione. She sat down and opened it.

Dear Harry and Hermione,

Hey! It's Ron! How are you? How's Lily doing? She must be three now, right? What does she look like? Please write back. I'm sorry about what I did. I let my feelings get the better of me. You have to understand. I'm very sorry if I did anything to hurt you.

Ron

P.S. No hard feelings?

Hermione threw the letter onto the table. "I can't believe that he would actually dare write us! After what he did!" she exploded.

"Whoa, Hermione! Calm down. It's not that big of a deal. I just thought you might want to know," Harry replied, trying to keep Hermione's voice down.

"You're right. Okay. I'm good. I'm cool," Hermione said, taking a couple of deep breaths. She calmly put the letter back into the envelope. She sighed deeply. "I should get dinner started."

Harry went into Lily's room while Hermione looked in the pantry to see what they had for food. 'Let's see,' she thought, rummaging through the various boxes and bags. She found a couple boxes of macaroni and cheese. 'Perfect.'

She put a pot of water on the stove, deciding that traditional cooking tasted better than magical cooking. She set the table and latched Lily's booster seat onto one of them, making sure that the buckles were secure.

While the water was heating, she walked over to Lily's doorway, where Harry was tickling Lily. Both Harry and Lily were smiling and giggling. Neither noticed her there, and she was glad for it. Hermione watched Harry as he played with Lily. 'He's so happy. How can I ever tell him?' Hermione thought silently as tears once again were at the brim of spilling.

She ran in to check on the water, and poured the pasta in. She opened the refrigerator to pour out a sippie cup full of milk for Lily. She also poured two glasses of butterbeer, for Harry and herself.

"Harry, Lily, dinner!" Hermione shouted, draining out the pasta. She put in back into the pot and added the cheese, some milk, and some butter.

Harry lifted Lily into her booster seat and buckled her in. He took his seat at the square table across from Lily, because Hermione insisted on sitting next to Lily every night, which was fine with Harry, because he would rather watch Hermione try to help Lily eat food anyway. He loved the way that even though she was so young, being only twenty, she still had all of the right instincts when it came to parenting.

Harry thought that maybe, just maybe, he had fallen in love with Hermione. She was always so sweet, and smart, and even though she made some mistakes, she still was confident that everything would work out right. He didn't even care that she was pretty, even though he thought that she was gorgeous, with her ringlets of hair that bounced around when she was happy, or were pulled back into a loose pony when she was stressed. He loved her eyes, and the fact that you could always tell exactly how she was feeling just by looking into them. But most of all, he loved her smile, and how it seemed to brighten up the darkest of times, no matter what.

Hermione served the macaroni and cheese, and Lily squealed with delight. "Yummy! I love macanoni and cheese!"

"It's maca_roni_, Lily," Harry said as Hermione put the pot back onto the stove. She sat down and they began to eat.

"Well, I don't care how you say it. It's yummy," Lily said about five minutes later. All three of them started to laugh. Hermione's laugh didn't last as long as Harry or Lily's, but neither of them seemed to notice.

That bad thought kept on creeping into her head. 'Lily's my daughter,' Malfoy's voice said. She kept on thinking about how she was going to tell Harry. He would be heartbroken, she just knew it. He loved Lily so much.

'Maybe I shouldn't tell him at all,' Hermione thought.

'But he'll probably suspect something,' that annoying voice in her head said.

"Hermione, is everything okay?" Harry asked. She looked up at him and was pulled out of her trance.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, everything's fine," Hermione answered, poking her food with her fork. She didn't feel like eating that night. She averted his gaze and sighed. Absentmindedly tucking some hair behind her ear, she replied, "Everything's fine. Really."

"Okay," Harry replied slowly, not really believing her. He continued to eat, but kept glancing at Hermione, knowing that something just wasn't right.

Once dinner was finished, Lily wanted to play with her toy broomstick.

"Daddy, will you take me to the playground? I wanna fly!" she exclaimed. She didn't mean actually fly. She had received a simple broomstick that floated about two feet off of the ground, for Christmas, and it had been her favorite toy for a long time.

"No, Lily. You've already been to the playground today," Hermione answered for Harry before he got a chance to speak. Harry gave Hermione a quizzical look. Lily looked sad, but skipped to her room rather than protest her mother's decision.

"Hermione, so what if she's already been to the park today?"

"Well, I just don't want her going there for a couple of days," was Hermione's reply, as she waved her wand, and the dishes started to wash themselves over the sink.

"Is there something that you want to tell me, Hermione?" Harry asked, taking a seat on their couch. Hermione followed him, and sat on the opposite side.

"No. I already told you, there's nothing wrong," Hermione answered coldly. She kept fidgeting, and Harry knew something was wrong.

"Hermione, don't you think that I know when something's wrong with you? We've been living together for three years! I know everything about you," Harry said, taking his tone down when he said the last sentence.

"Do you love Lily?" Hermione asked, ignoring his last statement.

Harry was taken aback by her out of the blue question. "Of course I love Lily. Why wouldn't I love her?"

"I was just wondering."

"Hermione, please just tell me what's troubling you. If anything is wrong with Lily, you know you can tell me."

"Nothing's wrong with Lily," Hermione said, now speaking in a quiet, very un-Hermione like tone.

"Then what's wrong? Are you sick or something?"

"No, Harry. I'm not sick. I…I…I just need to be alone for a while," she replied, getting up and walking to their bedroom. She shut the door, leaving a very concerned and confused Harry behind.

Hermione lay down on her side of their bed and began to cry. She buried her head into her soft pillow, sniffing and coughing. It wasn't long before Harry knocked on the door.

"Leave me alone." Hermione whispered, still lying on her side.

"Can't I come in? I put Lily to bed." came the reply from the other side of the door.

"Sure, Harry." Hermione sighed, not moving an inch.

Harry opened the door and closed it behind him. He came and sat down on the left side of the bed, which was his side. He sat in the middle, with his legs crossed, facing Hermione. Hermione remained lying down.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, aside from Hermione's occasional sniffing. Harry was the one to break the silence.

"Hermione," he said, moving closer to her. "Please. Whatever it is, you know that you can tell me."

"Harry, I can't," she replied, rolling over so she wouldn't have to look at him.

Harry sighed. "Look. I know for a fact that until you tell someone, all you are going to do is cry and mope. I know you, Hermione."

Hermione rolled back to the middle of the bed and sat up, so that she and Harry were face to face. "No Harry. You don't know me at all," she said, sighing. She took a couple of deep breaths and pushed the damp hair out of her face.

"Hermione," Harry replied. "Tell me. The worse thing you can do is bottle it all up inside. I want to know what's troubling you. Trust me- if you tell someone, it'll make things better."

"That's just it, Harry. It'll make things worse. Between us. All three of us," Hermione said, sniffling.

"Tell me," Harry said, remember how moody Hermione was the last time she kept a secret.

"Ok. Here it goes," Hermione said. She sighed deeply. "Well, when Lily and I were at the park this afternoon, someone was there, someone I didn't expect…it was Malfoy," she paused, searching for a reaction in Harry's face. Not seeing a drastic expression, she continued.

"He came up to me and…and he… he…," Hermione stuttered, unable to say anymore. A large lump had formed in her throat. She began to cry again. Harry leaned for her and enveloped her. He ran his fingers through her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"What did he do, Hermione?" Harry asked calmly.

"He told me that…that…he…he…wanted…his…daughter," Hermione whispered into Harry's shoulder. Harry's heart instantly fell.

"And…" Harry trailed off, leaving Hermione to finish the thought.

Hermione took in a breath. "Harry…Malfoy claims that Lily is his daughter."

There was a very tense, silent moment before Harry opened his mouth.

"Hermione, please tell me you're joking." Hermione didn't have to answer him, because when he looked at her, she dropped her head and began to shake.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"I have no idea," Hermione said quietly. She pushed away from Harry so they were both kneeling, facing each other. Harry raised his eyebrow at her.

"I was drunk, REMEMBER?" she shouted. Harry jumped slightly and looked around.

"Shhh, Hermione. I don't think you want to wake up Lily."

"Why do you care about Lily? She's not even yours!" Hermione shouted.

'Oh God,' Harry thought. 'Another mood swing.'

"Hermione, you need to calm down. I care about Lily because she is my daughter. Maybe not biologically, but I've had that experience. I always thought of Ron's parents as my parents. They took care of me when I needed it, never turned me away, and loved me. That's what defines a parent."

Hermione leaned forward and gave Harry a hug. "I'm sorry. For everything."

"It's ok. Even if Lily was mine, I don't think I'd treat her any different."

"But you just found out. How could you know?"

"Hermione, I don't remember that Halloween night at all. I woke up in a closet. I think it was on the sixth floor- and no-where near the common room. Please explain how we slept together and I ended up in a closet about a half an hour away."

Hermione started to cry again. "M…M…Malfoy said that…that…that he used a…a p…polyjuice potion."

"That ahole. I can't believe him."

Hermione forced a small laugh, and shook her head in disbelief. "What are we going to tell Lily? She thinks that you're her father. What am I supposed to tell her? That her father is actually our worst enemy?"

"We don't have to tell her, you know," Harry said, deciding that it would be better to let out his anger later.

"And let her go through her whole life not knowing who her real father is? Malfoy's bound to tell his own kids, anyway. Then when she goes to Hogwarts, she'll find out the hard way," Hermione said, standing up and pacing around, wringing her hands.

"How exactly do you intend to tell her? She won't understand," Harry noted, and Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. Sighing deeply, she turned to him.

"Aren't you the least bit upset about this? You seem to be showing no emotion whatsoever."

"I don't need to. You're showing enough emotion for the two of us."

Hermione scoffed. "Harry, don't you understand? She's not your daughter! How can you not be mad, or upset, or…something."

Harry shrugged. "I am plenty upset. I just choose not to show it for fear of making you more upset," he said calmly.

"That's very considerate of you, but now isn't the time to be worrying about me. We have to think of Lily. Okay. I can do this," Hermione trailed off, now speaking more to herself than to Harry. She started pacing again.

"I can always just, leave. Then maybe when she's older, she won't remember me, and then no problem. You just tell her that her daddy left, and then when Malfoy's kids go to school with her, she'll find out," Harry suggested, shrugging.

"Harry, that is an awful plan," Hermione said bluntly. She lay back down on the bed, sighing.

"Better than what you've got so far, I'm sure," Harry joked. He lay down beside her, and sighed also.

"I'll think of something," Hermione replied, slightly peeved at Harry.

"I'm sure you will. You always think of something," Harry said, trying to make Hermione ease up a bit.

"Thanks, but I don't know if I'll come up with something today," Hermione said sadly.

They heard a cry come from outside of the room.

"Lily probably had a bad dream- I'll get her," Hermione said, glad to have a reason to leave the awkward conversation. She closed the door behind her and went into Lily's room,

"Mommy! Mommy!" Lily was crying.

"What is it, honey?" Hermione asked, on the edge of Lily's bed.

"I'm scared," Lily said, sucking her thumb.

"What happened? Did you have a bad dream?" Hermione asked, pulling Lily's hand away from her mouth.

Lily shook her head and pointed out the doorway. Hermione looked into the living room, but saw nothing.

"No-body's there, honey," Hermione coaxed. She gently ran her fingers through Lily's hair. "Go back to sleep."

"Okay, Mommy," Lily replied, pulling her covers to her chin and squeezing her favorite stuffed animal- a teddy bear that changed colors whenever you squeezed it.

"I love you," Hermione said, closing the door almost all the way.

"I love you too, Mommy."

Hermione went into the living room, looking for someone or something that had scared Lily. She looked under the couch and saw nothing. She looked behind the side table and saw nothing. Then she looked out the window and saw a group of teenagers fighting. Hermione sighed and went back into the bedroom.

"What was wrong?" Harry asked. He was lying down, his head nestled into the soft pillow.

"She heard a bunch of kids outside. Probably kids from the school," Hermione replied, lying down next to Harry. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Have you figured it out yet?" Harry mumbled into the pillow.

"No, but you're definitely not leaving. I don't know what I would do without you," Hermione said, looking over at him.

"Thanks Hermione," Harry mumbled. After a few minutes, Hermione could hear Harry breathing very heavily. This slightly pissed her off.

'How could he fall asleep at a time like this? He just found out that the girl that he thought has been his daughter for three years is actually our worst enemies?'

Hermione went over to her bureau and took pajamas out of the top drawer. She went into the adjacent bathroom and changed, brushed her teeth, and put her hair into a low pony. Her pajamas consisted of a knee-length white thick-strapped negligee. She looked in the mirror and sighed. Just as she was leaving the bathroom, she heard a crash out in the living room. She dropped her clothes and slowly opened the bedroom door. It was dark in the living room, but Hermione could tell that something wasn't right. She looked back over to Harry. The crash hadn't stirred him.

Hermione shook her head and crept into the living room, going slow so she wouldn't knock into anything. Instinctively, Hermione went to Lily's room, heart pounding fast. Once she got to the doorway, she started hyperventilating.

"LILY!" she screamed, turning on the light. Lily was gone, and her bedroom window was smashed, the glass littering the room. Hermione ran over to the window, glass piercing her foot. She looked out the broken window and began to cry. She knelt down and put her arms on the sill. She buried her head into them. The glass pressed into her knees, arms, and legs. She began to shake uncontrollably and kept repeating "Lily…Lily…Lily." Her name got softer and softer as the lump in Hermione's throat grew bigger.

A.N. Comment! More to Come!


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